The 2016 Music City Bowl features a matchup between Nebraska and Tennessee that should catch the eye of NFL scouts — plenty of potential NFL talent will take the field in Nashville.
Last year, two eventual first round draft picks played in the Music City Bowl — Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (drafted 12th overall by the New Orleans Saints) and Texas A&M tackle Germain Ifedi (drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the 31st overall selection).
Nebraska and Tennessee have a long history of sending college football players to the next level, and this year seems no different.
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Both teams boast plenty of NFL potential, and each team has a chance to have multiple players taken in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Here's a look at NFL prospects from each team:
| Rank | Player | Pos. | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Barnett | DE | Tennessee |
| 2 | Nathan Gerry | SS | Nebraska |
| 3 | Cameron Sutton | CB | Tennessee |
| 4 | Jalen Reeves-Mabin | OLB | Tennessee |
| 5 | Cethan Carter | TE | Nebraska |
| 6 | Tommy Armstrong Jr. | QB | Nebraska |
| 7 | Jordan Westerkamp | WR | Nebraska |
| 8 | Josh Banderas | OLB | Nebraska |
| 9 | Danny OBrien | DT | Tennessee |
| 10 | Corey Vereen | DE | Tennessee |
Each team features a big-time NFL prospect, with Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett standing out as a potential first-round draft pick. He hasn't officially declared for the draft, but considering the praise he's receiving from draft analysts, it would be surprising to see him stick around.
He's currently considered one of the top defensive ends in the entire draft, and it isn't surprising considering he put up 12 sacks this season alone and tied Reggie White's career sack record (32). He has 51 career tackles for a loss and 27 career quarterback hits. NFL teams want this guy on their roster.
He's not the only member of the Vols defense getting NFL looks. Cornerback Cameron Sutton is projected among the top 25 corners in the draft. He has seven career interceptions and has solid punt returning skills, too.
Jalen Reeves-Mabin is also getting looks from his outside linebacker position. The senior has compiled 240 career tackles, 8 sacks, and 27 tackles for a loss.
Nebraska has a few prospects of its own to look out for, headlined by safety Nathan Gerry. The senior has 13 career interceptions — all in the past three years at Nebraska. He's been among the top tacklers on his team for each of the past three years, too. He's got the potential to break into the first round of the draft.
Other potential Nebraska draftees this offseason will be quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Jr., and two of his receiving threats, tight end Cethan Carter and receiver Jordan Westerkamp.
